"Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity" Development and evaluation of environmental conservation technologies for tropical islands through an approach emphasizing Yama-Sato-Umi (Ridge-to-reef agroecosystem) connectivity
The Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) held the 54th TARF Public Lecture, titled “Learn about Sugarcane Ratoon Cultivation," on Friday, March 14, 2025, from 19:00 to 20:30 at the Audiovisual Room on the 2nd Floor of the Ishigaki City Health and Welfare Center. A total of 81 participants attended the event.
On June 29, 2024, Dr. Mohammad Shamim Hasan MANDAL, a JSPS Postdoctoral in the Forestry Division, received the 28th Kira Award (Outstanding Young Researcher Category) at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Tropical Ecology (JASTE34) held in Fukui. The research that earned the award is titled ”Habitat suitability mapping for a high-value non-timber forest product: A case study of Rauvolfia serpentina.”
On March 24–30, 2024, JIRCAS welcomed visitors from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. Ms. Ma. Mitzi V. Mangwag, Board Member and Acting Administrator, together with Atty. Ignacio S. Santillana, Deputy Administrator, visited the Tropical Agricultural Research Front (TARF) in Ishigaki Island and JIRCAS Headquarters in Tsukuba. JIRCAS and SRA are collaborating on three projects: ‘Climate change measures in Monsoon Asia,'‘Yama-Sato-Umi agroecosystem connectivity', and 'Tropical crop genetic resources.'
Tomorrow, October 15, is "Mushroom Day" in Japan. A research project of JIRCAS aims to conserve forests in the Philippines and other tropical islands by increasing their value through the combined cultivation of non-wood forest products such as mushrooms, fruit trees, and valuable tree species in mountain areas where forests have been cut down and soil erosion has occurred.